<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Tennessee has offered the job to Rick Barnes, and the two sides are closing in on a deal, sources told ESPN.</p>— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/582633816554147840">March 30, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
it would not surprise me if Rick does well at Tennessee. getting fired might be the jolt he needed to makes some changes Let's face it Rick had many of the chracteristics of a great coach.
So rather than let go of 1 or 2 of his coaching staff, he got them all fired and now it's onto look for another job. All good. People bring up his early years at UT but the talent he got post TJ Ford, he let that talent go to waste imo. Some of those teams, put them in the hands of Tom Izzo and I bet they'd have accomplished much more. The recruiting part as well, so much talent they couldn't bring in(much like with the Football team). Hopefully they pony up the money to bring in a good coach and don't be cheap with this hire.
Should this matter? You know that we're typically on the same side of the political spectrum and I dislike the Koch brothers and everything they stand for. You could add that he had Sam Brownback in the locker room after their win over KU not long after he signed a bill gutting public education funding in Kansas. But should it matter when it comes to hiring a sports coach? I've never considered the political leanings of Bill O'Brien, JVG, Rudy T, etc. I could make assumptions about most of them. Just because Marshall is louder about it doesn't mean he isn't the best fit for UT. I'm not sure if he is or not but his party affiliation shouldn't play a part in it...unless it somehow affects how he's able to recruit. Good luck to Barnes at that other UT wearing that other orange. I hope he does well there.
If the argument is that he's not Tom Izzo, I don't think anyone would disagree. Izzo is one of the best coaches in history. Going to a couple of Elite Eights and several Sweet 16s is not a waste, especially for a program that had no history of success at all prior to that.
I'm not saying it should matter to anyone but me. I don't want to root for someone who calls the worst two human beings to happen to American democracy a good thing.
Fair enough. For me, it's one of those things I conveniently forget about if they're winning. Then again, if he's inviting them in the locker room and constantly voicing his praise for them in the press, it would certainly make it harder for me to be supportive. As a head coach, you'd think that keeping that out of the limelight would be the smart thing to do. You don't know how the parents of a recruit are going to react.
I would honestly be surprised if Shaka leaves VCU. This is the guy who stiff-armed UCLA last off-season. It seems like every time big programs come knocking, VCU is able to do just enough to make him happy (raises, new practice facilities, etc.) He knows he can stay in Richmond and die rich and happy being a legend the rest of his life. I guess we'll find out what kind of ambition he really has.
Maybe his ambition isn't another college program but to go to the Pros someday. You don't have to coach at Texas to do that. Many coaches also have egos and being the lead dog at a basketball school means more than playing second or third fiddle at a bigger school. At the end of the day, the most successful coach in program history was unceremoniously dismissed. It was time for a change but other coaches don't always perceive that.
Oh I agree. And if it was me, there's no way I would leave VCU for UT. Especially not while raising children. (No disrespect to Austin) I guess all I'm saying is there are definitely more factors in play than just salary when it comes to Shaka.
But it's not you. Who knows what Shaka wants. What is clear though is that he has an opportunity to go to a huge program that can pay him tons of money in a city that most love where he can cement a legacy if he performs as hoped for. He may have personal or other reasons to pass... And that's fine. As an Austinite he doesn't blow me away but would be a pretty solid hire and hope to elevate the program. I suspect he is the next longhorn men's basketball coach but we'll see
Well if you look at my previous post I addressed all of that. This isn't his first rodeo. He turned down UCLA just last off-season. Also, it's not like he's getting paid peanuts at VCU. His base salary is around $1.2 mil. (Obviously I know UT can top this, but I think there's a misconception that you don't get paid at a mid-major). I'm a VA native and I have a pretty decent pulse on VA college ball. I may be wrong, but again it would surprise me (not shock me, but surprise me) if Shaka leaves VCU for Texas. Also, if UT is fortunate to lure him away, you SHOULD be blown away. It would be a tremendous hire for any school in the nation. He's special.
